Petals
by desolate butterfly
Summary: [A LeeSaku ficlet] Lee and Sakura share a moment. Flowers are involved.


Title: Petals  
Author: desolate butterfly  
Genre: fluff, romance  
Pairing: LeeSaku  
Rating: G  
Summary: Sakura and Lee share a moment. Flowers are involved.

--

"Sakura-san, please let me help you with that!"

She tosses a stern look at him and he sits back down on the bed where he clenches and unclenches his fist, practically vibrating in an attempt to not get up and take the heavy-looking box from her hands.

She hefts the box easily and walks it over to the door.

"You stay right where you are and _rest_," she chides, setting the box down and turning back to the dresser in the corner to gather up the belonging on its surface. "I've handled tasks bigger than this one when I was still a gennin, so don't insult me by thinking I can't clear out a few drawers of clothing and weight-training equipment."

"I would never insult—"

"And _stop pulling at those bandages_ or I'll knock you out again. Tsunade-shishou said you weren't to use your arm for at least a week, and that leg can't stand much more damage. That's why we're moving your room down a floor to begin with—so you don't have to deal with stairs." He looks crestfallen at her harsh tone and she sighs, coming over to pat a stray bandage into place on his head. "You tore the muscles right from the bone again Lee," she says, softly. "You've got to take better care of yourself."

The faint blush on his cheeks and the determined nod of his head makes her smile.

"You're absolutely right, Sakura-san," he declares. "I must do all things possible in order to make myself healthy again, or else I won't be able to protect you!"

Her eyes roll and she turns back to the dresser with a sigh.

"Worry about protecting _yourself_, Lee-kun," she says, kneeling down to pull open the bottom drawer. "I'm doing just fine."

"Of course you are," Lee declares, but not as enthusiastically as before. "Sakura-san is a perfectly capable kunoichi. It's just that…"

"Just what?" she queries absently, tugging on the drawer until it slides open. She blinks.

Inside are scattered dried petals pressed carefully between sheets of wax paper; yellow and red and soft baby pink—in all different shapes and sizes.

"Lee what is this?" she asks.

He's blushing again, awkwardly fiddling with his blanket with the fingers of one hand and watching his covered knees as if they the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.

"I…I really appreciated your get-well flowers," he mumbles sheepishly.

Smiling, she reaches a hand in to gently trace the ridges of a curling white daisy petal. She knows it's from the first flower she ever gave him, when he was injured so badly in the Chuunin exams and there was doubt as to whether or not he'd ever be able to fulfill his dreams.

"I can't believe you kept them all," she whispers.

"Of course I did!" Lee thumps his good hand into his chest, emphatically. "Gifts from Sakura-chan should be treasured and preserved for all eternity."

She slowly closes the drawer and stands up. "I guess we'll keep them in here for now. They might crumple if we move them like this."

The dejected look on Lee's face turns to shock as her hands clasps his. She leans in, smiling.

"Besides which, you'll be back in your old room with all your weights and things in just a week's time—" her eyes narrow and her grip tightens, even though her expression stays in the same sweet smile. "—that is, if you _rest_ and _stay in bed_ like you're supposed to. Right, Lee-kun?"

Lee suppresses a wince and nods shakily. "R-Right, Sakura-san!"

--

The move takes a few more trips of books and scrolls and physiotherapy equipment being taken down stairs, and by the time Gai-sensei arrives to pick Lee up and transport _him_ downstairs, Sakura has already left for her rounds at the med center.

However, the arrival of a package later that night of an album lined with herbarium paper and a single, yellow daisy makes him grin uncontrollably and stay in bed an extra five hours before the inactivity becomes too much and he starts the one armed push-ups.

--

fin.

--


End file.
